Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Johnny Slick
I have to disagree with this, too. On a year-to-year basis, W-L records are, yes, very dependent on a pitcher's run support. However, over the course of a career, those things seem to even out. The list of the best W-L records in baseball history is, generally speaking, also a list of the best players ever to play. There are exceptions (Whitey Ford, I guess, although he was a very good pitcher), but they're of the "this guy should have been .580 but he was .600 instead" variety. In fact, if I had to pick between career ERA and career W-L to figure out which pitchers were better, I'd take the latter any day of the week.
And ironically enough, Mussina's W-L record is something that statheads could use on the non-stathead crowd, because in truth it is very, very good.
|
However, when we are discussing individual players, it doesn't help how a stat is accurate for 80% of the players.
And the reason why statheads might not like using W-L records to support Mussina:
1. Consistency. You don't use some stats you hate simply because it supports your point.
2. Era. Pitchers got less starts and last less innings these days. Using win numbers is not fair for modern pitchers.